Cinema
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
Jacques Demy · 1964
Synopsis
In Cherbourg, Geneviève helps her mother, Mme Emery, in their umbrella shop, which is struggling to keep going. She loves Guy, a young mechanic who lives with his sick godmother, Élise; Madeleine, who cares for Élise, loves Guy in silence. The two young people want to marry, but Guy is called up for the Algerian War. After he leaves, Geneviève discovers she is pregnant, and Guy's letters become rare. Roland Cassard, a rich diamond merchant, asks for her hand.
Context
All the dialogue is sung, to music by Michel Legrand, and the voices are those of professional singers, the actors performing to the recorded track. The façades of the town were repainted to match the colours of the film. The story is divided into three parts. The film was restored in 4K in 2024 by Ciné-Tamaris, under the supervision of Mathieu Demy, and this restoration was shown at Cannes Classics.
Who it is for
About an hour and a half, in colour and sung throughout: the convention has to be accepted from the outset.
Prizes and reception
Prix Louis-Delluc, then Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1964; it is its director's best-known film.
Sources for this page 5
The pages consulted to check this page.